The Fairy Tail of a Dragon's Tale
by The Broken Idealist
Summary: Fantasy AU. Chapter 4: Wendy, Romeo, and Charle travel to the Ice Islands hoping to find Natsu and his captive, the lost Princess Lucy. But our hero wanders away from the group, and has to be rescued by a mysterious mermaid with ocean eyes.
1. Chapter 1

Romeo Conbolt was miserable under the blistering heat of the sun. He was riding through the vast dunes of Nowhere, a desert outland far from his home. There was nothing in sight but the mounds of sand that shifted with the wind. No creature dared to settle there, for not even the most enduring form of life could be supported.

In addition to his weather conditions, he was fitted into a heavy chain-armour he would much rather do without. It weighed him down more than it did the horse. At least the animal was used to carrying the load, but not Romeo. And to top it all off, the metal made his bum sorer than it already was from sitting on the saddle for hours. He really wanted nothing more than to take the damn thing off. But what was a knight without his armour?

His eyes roamed ahead. If the legends indeed held some truth to them, then he was very close. He had done extensive research before heading out on the quest. Romeo had ready every book in the town's library. He cross-referenced every detail, every shred of information he might have to know.

So where was it?

Sighing, he stepped off the horse to rejuvenate. He reached for his makeshift water carrier, made from the carcass of an animal he had skinned himself. He had been lucky enough to pass by an oasis a few hours ago. He drank very little, rationing each gulp. Water was a scarce necessity. However, with the horse he was generous. He took his helmet off and poured some of the cool liquid into it. He held it out for the steed to drink from.

He opened his satchel and took out a book, a map, and a compass. He plopped down to sit on the ground. Romeo stared up at the sky. The evening was approaching. Once the stars came out, he could finally chart his position. With no landscape, no markers, he couldn't tell if he had been going around in circles the whole time.

He lay on his back against the grainy earth. The quest had become a legendary challenge for warriors a decade ago. The strongest knight of the Order of Fairy Tail, Erza Scarlet, had disappeared after galloping of into the sunset. She was never heard from again, and they found no trace of her. It was no surprise to the people of Magnolia that every other knight that had tried failed. A person was considered lucky if they came back alive. However, they were also considered a coward. Men did not want to lose to a girl.

As he weighed the options whether or not to take a chance on an adventure, all the signs pointed to his demise. But the chance to prove fate wrong, the chance to escape all the names and ridicules. He was sick of being humiliated every day of his life. So what if he wasn't rich? So what if he wasn't strong, handsome, or charming? Was that the sole basis for him to be judged as of lesser worth than the rest?

_People are cruel_ he decided. It would be well worth the travesty then, when Rag-Muffin Rascal Romeo returns as the glorious victor. The looks on their faces would be delicious. Assuming he made it to Fantasia, of course.

The sun had started to set. Night was falling, and he should have gotten up and moved on. But the cool air was a temptress, and sleep was taking over. He closed his eyes, just for a minute…

* * *

Romeo was stupid. He was naïve, he was idiotic, and he was downright careless. He had no idea why he had let sloth possess him like that. Yes, snooze time was a successful seductress, but he couldn't afford that kind of weakness.

He had been jolted awake once he felt the cold tip of a dagger softly peck his neck. Looming over him was a man covered in a cloak, so that the only things visible on his were his harsh dark eyes. The man pulled Romeo up effortlessly and prodded him with the handle of his weapon. Romeo kept his hands in the air as he walked to wherever this man was taking him.

The young traveler tried using his peripheral vision to spot his horse, his stuff, and his most important possession at that moment, but none were in sight. The man sternly told him something that he could not understand, because it was spoken in his assailant's native tongue. The Romeo supposed it meant he was supposed to speed up.

They arrived at a camp site, with two more young men dressed similarly to the first one. They all donned a strange, skin-tight black suit adorned by a colorful sash, a different one for each man. The sash had the same pattern as the cloth that masked their faces.

It was then that he realized that he had been captured by one of the desert's tribal bandits. His felt faint, and his knees were starting to wobble. Desert bandits were probably the worst thing that could have happened to him. They had a reputation of being powerful and merciless. He had heard the reports of bodies strewn across the sand, numerous delivery carts and pilgrims ambushed and ransacked. These were all their doing. He was doomed.

"What took you so long, Kalen?" one of the men said. Romeo assumed he was the leader, because of the way he stood. He looked like the most imposing figure out of the three.

His captor was tall and thin, whereas his co-lackey was short and stout. Their leader was directly in the middle of all that. "He put up a fight, but I beat him senseless," Kalen Berg fibbed. The other nodded.

"I see. Marco is in the tent skimming through this knight's bag, though I doubt he's having much progress at finding anything of value." Romeo bit his tongue. He was desperately wishing that they found all of his stuff of no importance.

Kalen cackled. "So what do we do with him, Wonderful Gocche?" His superior thought for a moment, stroking his chin.

"I don't know. Tie him up to the post for a while. We can decide while we eat." And so Kalen did as he was told. He took rope out of a box and pushed Romeo toward a long wooden pole.

"You're not a very smart knight, are you?" Kalen smirked as he bound Romeo.

"No," the raven-haired man muttered. "I'm not." As the man walked away, Romeo noticed that both of the bandits had abnormally large butts.

* * *

The next five hours were some of the worst of his life. He had been forced to sit through the trio's dance number. As it turned out, they all had enormous bottoms, hence the name 'The Jiggle Butt Gang.' He should have been grateful, for these guys were infamous for being the least threatening of the bandit tribes. They were actually tribe rejects, from what he could tell.

Still though, having to watch their dance around the fire, with their huge asses –er, assets, jiggling about, was plain torture. The thing that really ruined everything was their shameless farting. They actually congratulated each other whenever one let out a particularly loud and putrid release. Romeo struggled to keep the bile in his throat down. That wouldn't have been a particularly good taste in his mouth, and he needed the food inside him to maintain energy levels.

He supposed he could have done worse. He could have been captured by one of the more sinister tribes, like Harpuia, or Ghoul Spirit. They would have done him in the moment he was in their grasp. With these three bumbling idiots, he had a chance to escape. They didn't even have a clue that he was slowly untying himself from the poorly knotted binds.

"Did'ja find anything good, Marco?" Gocche slurred after taking a swig from a bottle. They were seated around a fire, drinking contentedly.

"Nope!" the tubby man replied, popping the 'P' at the end of his word. "He had a ratty old compass, a map, some water, and a book. Not very prepared to travel through the desert."

"The compass we can barter for something cheap. We could use the book and map as toilet paper whenever we need to take a dump. Nobody out here knows how to read a damn thing anyway."

"And… what about him?" Kalen asked, jerking his head towards their prisoner.

Gocche thought for a moment. They could try to brainwash him and make room for a fourth member. But no, his butt wasn't nearly big enough to let him qualify. Having a slave made no sense, as that was just another mouth to feed. If they didn't feed him, he would die, and that was pretty useless. "He's nothing, Kalen. What did you have to bring him along for in the first place?"

"Well, if I didn't catch him, then he probably would have gone after us in our sleep! We did nick his stuff, after all." _Good point _Goche conceded in his mind.

Suddenly the sound of a hooves thundering across the desert could be heard. A cloud of dust was approaching. Romeo, who had just succeeded in wrenching his hands free, was starting to panic inside. Instead of combating the men in their drunken stupor like he had planned, he pretended to still be tied up. He feigned unconsciousness. He slumped against the post with only the tiniest fraction of his eyes open.

If other thieves were to come and try to seize the Jiggle Butt Gang's loot, then the three would-be villains had no chance of winning. However, they didn't look the least bit frightened. They simply got up and fetched the goods.

The band of newcomers stopped in front of their campsite. There were ten of them in all. A well-tanned man wearing a robe that resembled a bee gets let his feet hit the ground first. "What do we have here?"

"Rayule," Gocche greeted. He couldn't even walk in a straight line. "Eisenwald. Welcome. We have new merchandise you might be interested in." The men were already checking out the items laid out on the sand for display. Vases, ornaments, boxes and little trinkets are soiled by grubby hands.

"What's this?" a toad-like man with green hair asked, holding up an ordinary pair of tweezers.

"Those," Marco Belunjay said importantly, "are an ancient form of weapons, used by Rune Knights of old. They are indestructible, invincible, and they could be yours… for the price of just your shirt." The two were roughly the same size.

The man, called Karacka, shrugged. A small price to pay for such an invaluable item. He reached for the hem and pulled it over his head with pudgy arms. Though it stank and was greasy with sweat, Belunjay grinned with satisfaction. Beside him, a set of ginger-haired twins were haggling with Kalen over a broken looking clock, which he claimed had the power to speed up time.

While the others were studying the objects –which were of similar value to the tweezers and clock–and adding numbers in their heads, one person wrinkled his nose. "All of these things are useless!" he complained.

"Kugayama," a goblin humanoid member warned.

"No, seriously. This all looks like a load of crap to me. We keep setling for these three numbskulls' junk, no wonder we're the laughing stock of –"

"Enough." A black-hooded man, still seated on his horse, was enough to silence everyone. He slowly got off, an ominous looking scythe strapped to his back. He let his hood fall back onto his shoulder blades, revealing a gaunt face with blue tattoos under each eye.

"Oh, the great Grim Reaper Erigor," Gocche said nervously. He shot the other two a look telling them to let him deal with this man alone, lest it became dangerous for them all. "What a pleasant surprise for you to join us this evening. Do you have anything you might want in mind?"

Erigor ignored him. He only had eyes for one thing: a tattered old book with yellow pages. On the cover were whimsical designs of magical creatures, bordered by a stencil of vines. It was simply titled 'Classic Fairy Tales.'

"Where did you get this?" he asked hoarsely. The book would cost a fortune, especially for the price some people were offering for it. It was impossible that these three bumbling idiots could have gotten their hands on something as precious as that.

Gocche unconsciously trailed his gaze to the apparently unconscious Romeo. The deadly assassin followed his line of vision and seemed to understand. _What a fool this boy is_ he thought _to be defeated by none other than the Jiggle Butt Gang._

"We will take the book."

Marco, Kalen and Gocche all breathed a sigh of relief. All had gone better than they expected. "Excellent. Now, I'm willing to take the price down from a horse saddle to a small dagger." Erigor cut him off.

"I said we're taking the book."

"Now sir, I'm afraid we don't work like that!" The scythe swung forward, stopping only a millimetre short of Gocche's throat.

"I'm afraid," he said, "we don't work like that either."

"Sold!" he squeaked.

The leader of the infamous band of criminals smiled twistedly. "Much better." He bent down to pick up the coveted treasure. He already knew exactly who to sell it to and how much to ask for. The moment his spider like digits made contact with the spine, chaos ensued.

Romeo lunged for the book. In the act, he tackled the much taller Erigor to the ground. He stretched his arms in order to grab it, but the villain's hand was pushing his face away. His long and unkempt nails scratched his face. Blood was drawn and Romeo yowled in pain. The man kneed him in the groin as he tried wrestling it from his grasp. He curled up, allowing Erigor to get to his feet.

He pushed a stray lock of white hair away from his face. A brook of crimson trickled down his nose, for the boy had managed to sock him. He spat at a spot near his fallen opponent. He kicked him in the gut one last time before announcing to his underlings, "We're leaving."

The men roared in support of their leader. All of them copied their master's actions, striking and heckling the pitiful foreigner from Fiore; all except for Kugayama. He looked deeply troubled but chose to remain wordless. They rode off, taking with them stolen loot.

The Jiggle Butt Gang stood over Romeo. Eisenwald had lost their mood for peaceful negotiations after his squabble with Erigor, and they had made off with everything. Marco even had his new shirt taken back. They all stepped on Romeo in anger.

"We should pack up," Gocche said. He headed back to the tent to take it down. He made sure to walk over Romeo's fingers.

"What do we do with him?" Marco asked viciously.

"Leave him. He's more trouble than he's worth." The two nodded and went to help their leader disassemble it.

Kalen looked at Romeo one last time. It was his fault for bringing him in the first place. He muttered a quick "I'm sorry" directed to the other two, to himself, and to Romeo. Eventually, they saddled their horses and disappeared into the night as well.

Romeo looked up into the sky. The thought of the beautiful full moon being the last thing he saw consoled him, even if just a bit. He prayed to Mavis that his father would forgive him. He was left alone to perish.

* * *

A light that shone brighter than the stars invaded the darkness. A child materialized out of thin air. She walked over to the unconscious Romeo. She kneeled beside him, unafraid to ruin her pretty white dress. His head was lifted so that she could cradle it in her lap.

The mysterious girl dipped lower to listen to his breathing. Her long, pale blond hair swept across his face. She let his fingers explore his features, running them across his cheek.

She hummed a gentle, melodious tune. In another flash of light, she disappeared as quickly as she came, taking the beaten Romeo with her. The Land of Nowhere was quiet once more.

* * *

AN: Finally finished with chapter one! I'm excited to write this story. It's all been mapped out in my head. I had this plot bunny flying around for ages, and it just sort of grew. Originally, it was for my collection of Fairy Tail Dragon Slayer one-shots, but then stuff happened.

Thank you for taking the time to read this story! I do hope you review. Comments and constructive criticisms are very much appreciated! If the characters seem OOC, or if you have a gripe with something, do not hesitate to tell me. I would love to hear from you!

DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN FAIRY TAIL


	2. Chapter 2

_Why didn't anyone ever tell me that being dead was this pleasant? I don't mind it at all. _

Romeo stretched his limbs out on the cool, soft grass. The musky smell of earth was inviting, so wonderfully different from the mounds of endless sand. He could hear the rustling of leaves in the trees with their branches scratching against the wooden trunk. Even with his closed eyes, the light of heaven's sun managed to penetrate his lids.

He wanted to enjoy the world of knowing without seeing for just a bit longer. But the joy of finding out was paradise looked like was just too tempting.

The weary young knight was met with the sight of clouds gliding across a blue sky. The trees were tall, but their leaves were a brighter shade. They were a nice change from the dark and murky covered trees from back home.

He finally decided to get up and explore the afterlife. To his amazement, there was a neatly set table waiting for him. He immediately sat and wolfed everything down. The food was scrumptious. It was like nothing he had ever tasted before in his entire life. Only people with rank higher than a noble could ever dream of eating like that.

After the hearty meal, he wiped his mouth on the back of his hand. He stayed still for some moments to better appreciate the feeling of being full. It was something they had never experienced before. Food was hard to come by back home, especially when he had to split it with his father. He shook his head. Romeo had told himself over and over again to try to not think about his dad.

He readjusted his armor before leaving. He felt more comfortable moving around in it than during the journey through Nowhere. He wandered around aimlessly, simply enjoying the calm of this paradise. But he was curious as well. Was this the final stage, or was he still in limbo? There were no other people around, nor were there any animals. Was it true that they had no souls?

The ground started to rumble. He heard galloping thuds, and small pebbles started to move. He barely managed to jump out of the way as a herd of horses ran past him. They were unlike any animals he had ever seen before. They were of different, unimaginable colors, like violet and green. Their coats were shiny and elegant. Every step was full of force and power.

But what really rendered him speechless was that one by one, they grew angelic white wings that glowed with such majesty. They kicked of the dirt and flew into the air, trotting across the sky. It was the most beautiful rainbow he had ever seen.

He noticed the last stallion was having more trouble than the others waiting in the sky for him. He was pure white and a bit smaller than the rest. Romeo recognized him immediately. It was the horse he rode in the desert.

Slowly, wings started to sprout from the steed's back. His build became larger as they did. Soon enough, he was up in the clouds like the rest.

Around him, the land started to change. The vines moved of their own accord and slithered across tree trunks like snakes. Flowers stained with colours he had never seen before started to dance and sing a happy tune. The forest was filled with life and the unmistakable print of magic.

This was a different sort of paradise than the heaven for departed souls. This was Fantasia.

* * *

Sunlight streamed through the large glass windows of the room. The rays hit the sleeping girl's face, to which she responded by groaning and pressing her face against her pillow. But her responsible, high maintenance nature demanded that she get up and begin her daily duties. It won out in the end over some much desired extra hours of sleep.

Her quarters consisted of a canopy bed with blue net fabric falling over the sides. She had her own private bathroom built, because having to use the one at the end of the hall led to some awkward and compromising situations she would rather not recall. Her desk was cluttered with stacks of parchments and worn out quills. She loved to write just as much as she did read.

She got up from her bed, stretching her arms and yawning. She rubbed her crusty eyes and went to look for her slippers. After a quick shower and dressing up, she headed for the castle's kitchen.

The rest of the place wasn't as nearly as cheery as her room was. The corridors were long and had multiple intersections. The winding staircase was enclosed near the wall, and she felt dizzy the first few times she had used it. The castle was dark because of the dim-lighting, and had a certain unsettling aura surrounding each room. If the curtains weren't drawn, it would remain an abyss the whole day.

She took a stool and used it as a stepping stone to get into the top pantry. She lifted some ingredients out of storage onto the marble counter top. She broke eggs into a bowl and mixed some milk with it. She whisked it around and set it into a pan to be tossed. She then prepared a hearty helping of meat, because he always required protein in large quantities.

The finished meal was laid out on the table, with three sets of utensils beside the plates (the cat was a contributing member of the household as well). She carefully folded the napkins into an origami swan like the style she had read about the night before.

The petite girl took a step back to admire her handiwork. Three bowls of scrambled eggs, two plates filled with bacon, and a final plate with stacks of thickly cut ham. _I'm getting better at this, if I do say so myself_ she thought.

"Smells good," said a man leaning by the door frame. His sharp teeth were on full display as he smiled at her. "Morning, Shrimp."

She grinned back. "Good morning, Gajeel."

* * *

It was supposed to be harder, finding the dragon's lair. The forest was wide and filled with numerous trails. The pathways got darker as he ventured more into them. He wasn't supposed to stumble upon a suspicious looking place within two hours of his time in the new land. But there was something about that spooky metal castle over the hill that Romeo just couldn't ignore.

He gulped as he stood at the foot of the slope. The fortress was plated with iron, a rare substance to come by where he came from. It had numerous towers, each topped with a cone roof. The balconies had spikes protruding through the railings. Pink curtains that blew through the open window succeeded in escaping his sight.

He struggled to keep down the bile in his throat. There were skeletons of considerably large animals strewn over the grounds. Those creatures alone would have given him a hard time. He could just imagine the enormous brute devouring them whole, and then spitting them out as clean bones.

Nauseated, he threw up on the grass.

What the hell was he thinking in the first place? He couldn't take on a dragon. A dragon –a creature with diamond-tough scales, huge bat like wings, claws, and probably a thousand daggers in their mouths which were considered teeth. _And Romeo was supposed to slay that?_ He felt another round of retching coming on, as well as the urge to piss his pants.

He had no formal training, and even if he did have those kinds of opportunities, there was no 'Dragon Slaying 101.' The only things available to him were grotesque portraits of the monsters massacring entire villages, and books describing how horrible they were and to never, ever approach one.

Convinced he had no chance in heaven, hell, Fiore, or Fantasia, he turned to walk away. But with each step he took further away, the jeers of his peers rang in his head.

"_You'll never tantamount to anything but a leper in a pig stein."_

"_Stay away from us, turd!"_

"_Useless, stupid coward."_

"_He's just like his father."_

Romeo clenched his fists together and stopped in his tracks. Did he really want to go home to that? Wouldn't death be preferable to a life of shame as a pariah? Wouldn't it be better to be remembered as a young martyr than to live a long life of misery? He would just be proving everyone right in belittling him.

He unsheathed his sword and raised it over his head. With these thoughts in mind, he spun around and charged through the open gates. Perhaps if he ran fast enough, he wouldn't have any time to second-guess himself.

"For Mavis, for Fiore, and for honour!" he cried as he moved. He instantly regretted doing so as soon as the words were out. That battle-cry sounded a lot cooler in his head.

* * *

The kitchen table was soon occupied by the castle's three residents. Levy ate with the graces drilled into her ever since she was a little girl. Her companions, on the other hand, shoveled down their fuel with less propriety. At least Gajeel did. The cat, Pantherlily, outdid him when it came to table manners by a mile.

"Gajeel," the blunette reproached him, just as she did every morning. "Don't make sounds when you chew."

The man glared at her and increased the volume, adding slurping sounds as he downed his drink. This sparked an argument between the two. She went into full on lecture mode and bits of pre-chewed food flew from his mouth as he answered back.

Pantherlily sighed. As far as breakfast time went, today was starting out rather peacefully. The two would always find something to bicker about. He rather admired Levy's fearless chastises considering Gajeel was three times her size and composed of bulking muscles.

He wished that the big lug would tread around her with more tact. He understood that she was the first female tenant of their home, and Gajeel was really a bonehead when it came to acting around women.

The dark furred cat smiled, however, as the girl reached across the table to wipe the corner of the dragon's mouth. He stopped mid-rant and sat back down quietly, dumbstruck. Lily took note of his efforts to eat less soundly, and so did Levy. She giggled mischievously and threw a wink the feline's way.

Breakfast continued without any more mishaps, until a shrill cry was heard from their gardens. The three looked up from their plates in alarm. They ran to the window to see what the commotion was all about. They saw a dark haired young man waving his sword in the air, screaming nonsense.

"Shit," Gajeel swore. It had been a long time since intruders dared enter his domain. The man was decked out in full body armor. He was a knight, bearing a familiar crest on his breastplate. "Shrimp, go to your room. Lily, go with her and make sure she stays there."

"No! I most certainly will not. I'm coming with you to face him."

"Shrimp," he growled. "Leave. Now."

He looked to his cat for back up. "Come on, Levy," Pantherlily beckoned. But she stayed right where she was.

"I'm not useless, Gajeel. I may be small and weak but I'm not useless," she said fiercely.

"What if I can't protect you?"

"He doesn't look that strong," she said, eyeing the man outside up and down. "I'm pretty sure you could take him out in five seconds. Maybe he just needs some help? I would be of much more use than you in that aspect."

"Levy." She was startled when he used her name. Whenever he did, it meant that he was seriously angry or seriously worried. "I'm not invincible. You saw that insignia. What if he's as strong as Titania? I would be pounded into the dust, even if I was in Dragon form."

Seeing him like that, so uncharacteristically soft and caring, she almost softened her resolve and gave in. But this was her home too. It was dark and dreary, and he had forced her into it after kidnapping her. And yet she loved every dark corner, every secret chamber. And she loved her library, filled with the musky scent of yellowing pages.

Gajeel had officially given the gala of books to her some few months after her arrival. That was all the convincing she needed to know he wasn't a bad guy at all. She stopped trying to poison him after that.

And so, even if he was five heads taller than her, she stared back up at him defiantly. "I'm going down with you."

There wasn't much time left, or else the idiot would probably break through the doors. Gajeel relented. "Hide behind the pillars until I give you the clear signal."

Levy sighed but nodded her head. She could live with that.

"Lily, go seal the other entrances." The cat obliged and left. "Let's go see what the fucker wants. I have a nice piece of platinum waiting for me for dessert."

* * *

Romeo soon realized that screaming at the top of his lungs wasn't the best option. Perhaps if he quietly snuck into the castle, he would have found the princess and escaped unharmed. Hoping against hope that he wasn't too late and that the dragon hadn't heard him yet, he found a metal door that led inside the castle.

Before he could push it open, it swung forward, revealing a frightening man with long dark hair and blood red eyes. His body was covered in iron piercings, from above his eyebrows to his arms. He stared down at Romeo with such ferocity that the knight stumbled backwards in fear.

"What do you want?" the tall man snarled. He made his way towards Romeo, out into the middle of the gardens. Romeo guessed that he was either the human servant of the dragon, or its human master. If he turned out to be the latter, he would have to have access to an enormous amount of power in order to control the beast of legends.

He mustered up every bit of courage available in his body. He straightened his back and puffed out his chest. "I'm here to take the fair maiden of Fiore back to where she belongs," he said. He cursed himself for quivering.

His adversary barked with laughter. "And who are you supposed to be?"

"A knight of the Order of Fairy Tail. I'm here to slay your dragon." He rammed himself into the man's body. The man was knocked off balance, and both of them fell to the floor. But Romeo was more prepared for the impact. Romeo was the first to reach his feet and kicked him in the stomach as he was still down. His beating in the desert had taught him a few tricks.

"Call out your dragon," Romeo said. He felt empowered with the adrenaline coursing through his blood. So this is what it felt like to be on the winning end of a brawl. Emboldened, he said with more bravado, "I am Fairy Tail's strongest knight. I will cut off your dragon's neck, whether he's your master or your pet. Call him out to face me!"

The man gave a low chuckle. "You want to fight my dragon? Fine. I'll give him the message."

To Romeo's horror, the man began to morph into something completely different. His skin rippled into metallic grey scales. His body became larger, more muscular, until it became that of a familiar monstrous reptilian. Wide wings sprouted from his back. They spanned wider than his entire house.

He had turned into the dragon in question, but his cruel red eyes stayed the same.

"I am Gajeel, the Dragon of Iron," he roared. "I accept your challenge."

Romeo almost wet himself.

Gajeel flew to the roof of the castle and bit off a chunk of metal. He sucked in a breath of air, and aimed a tornado of dark fire at Romeo. The man managed to jump out of the way. He hid behind a tree. He stared at the crater that could have been him. It wasn't burnt with flame, but instead was filled with shrapnels of iron.

_But that's impossible_ Romeo frantically thought. _Dragons can only breathe fire!_ As it turned out, that bit of intel was wrong. He wondered what else about dragon was and wasn't true.

With a loud thud, Gajeel landed in front of him. He crushed bushes and shrubs beneath him. When he grinned, almost all of his razor sharp white fangs were visible. Romeo made a quick slide and stabbed his tail with his sword. Gajeel yowled in pain. The knight took that as a chance to make his get away, but the dragon's legs could reach any point of the garden faster than he could run there.

"If you're Fairy Tail's strongest knight, then I think their standards have dropped. Ten fold," he taunted. He trapped Romeo in a cage made of his claws. He took him by the scruff of his shirt inside the armor. "This'll teach you to ruin my morning." He inhaled, ready to blast metal through his prey's flesh. Romeo squeezed his eyes shut, bracing himself for death.

A shrill voice cried, "Gajeel! Put him down!"

"Eh?" Gajeel said confusedly.

"He's harmless. Put him down. I want to know what he wants." The dragon shrugged and lowered Romeo to the ground. As soon as his feet made contact with the earth, he opened his eyes. His legs were shaking.

A cute girl with blue hair approached him cautiously. "Are you okay?"

Romeo couldn't believe his luck. All the pain, hardships, and suffering were finally made worth it at the sight of her. "Princess!" He ran to her, but again was caught by Gajeel.

"Not so fast, shit face," he said dangerously. The girl waved him off.

"Let him speak."

"Thank you, your highness," Romeo said with a bow. He stuck his tongue out at the dragon. Gajeel transformed back into the man and slapped the back of his head.

"Ouch!"

"Stop it!" she snapped. "Both of you."

"Sorry," Romeo said sheepishly. Gajeel just glared and stuck his nose in the air. She ignored him.

"What's your name?" she asked Romeo.

"Romeo. Sir Romeo Conbolt.

"Why did you come to this castle?"

"To rescue you, Princess. I've come to save you from this fowl beast and return you to your kingdom. People are starting to lose hope, especially since you've been gone for years. Actually," he admitted, "you look much younger than I expected."

The girl made an apologetic face. "I'm so sorry, Sir Romeo. I'm not the girl you're looking for."

Romeo was confused. How many girls were carried away by dragons? "But I don't understand. Aren't you Princess L –"

"Levy," she cut him off. "I'm not Princess Lucy. I'm Levy McGarden, the royal scribe." The dark haired young man's heart sank. Yet another confusing, bitter disappointment along the road he was travelling.

"I was taken from the palace the same day the Princess was. She's my best friend, and we were in the same room when two dragons destroyed the castle and flew off with us," she continued. Gajeel looked at his feet. His face bore not very well concealed shame.

"So –so where is the princess?" Romeo croaked.

"She's in this land too, in another dragon's lair."

"I can give you directions, if you want," Gajeel suddenly piped in. Levy's eyes darted to him in shock.

"What? Gajeel, what are you…?"

"Yes!" Romeo nodded fervently. His counterpart smiled and drew a map on the ground with his fingers.

"All you have to do is follow the signs. Go straight, and then make a left at that marked tree, until you reach a castle similar to this. Can't miss it," he instructed as he finished his illustration. Romeo scanned it multiple times in his head until he was sure he memorized it.

"Got it! Thank you so much!" He turned to Levy.

"Miss Levy, I'm so sorry I can't rescue you today. The princess has to be top priority. But I will rescue you as soon as I can," he promised.

She just smiled serenely. "I'll be waiting." And the knight was off, waving to them as he made his way out the gates.

* * *

"Damn kid," Gajeel muttered as he munched on his delicious platinum. They were seated on the couch in the grand library, the only place aside from Levy's room with proper lighting.

"He seemed pretty serious when he said he would come back for me," Levy said mock gravely.

"He couldn't take me. Not in a million years. As if I'd let him."

"No," Levy whispered. She leaned her head into the crook of his neck. "You wouldn't."

"Would you want to leave?" Gajeel played along. "Would you want to finally escape years of torture, abuse, malnourishment, and boredom?"

Levy laughed. "Not for all the riches in the world." She pressed her lips against his temple. And then she hit him in the arm.

"Hey! Shrimp, what was that for?"

"What were you thinking, sending him off to Natsu and Lucy's?" Levy fumed.

"Relax, Shrimp. They aren't home. They're on vacation." And he whispered something in her ear that made her squeal with delight. The dragon chuckled at her giddiness and threw his arms around his mate.

Whether his opponent was as weak as today's or as stronger than him by a mile, nobody was going to be 'rescuing' _his_ bookworm.

* * *

A/N: There you have it. Chapter two. Thank you for taking the time to read this story. I do hope you review. All comments and critiques are very much appreciated. Also, thank you to those that favorited, although I can't really understand why when only chapter one was up.

If the GaLe romance looks rushed, I should probably tell you that they have been together for almost a decade, and they've been 'together' for half of that. I do apologize though if they are OOC.

Also, if there are any typos/grammar mistakes, please tell me. I don't have a beta.


	3. Chapter 3

"Isn't this just wonderful?" Romeo muttered as he hacked away at another plant to clear his path. The scumbag dragon had lied. There was no clear road to pave his way towards a definite direction.

To say that Romeo was thoroughly annoyed would be an understatement. He was tired, after trekking through dirt and keeping on guard against any dangerous beast that might attack. He was hungry, as his last meal was the succulent breakfast he had scarfed down. By his estimation, it was already late into the afternoon. He was shamefully embarrassed after pulling the moronic stunt that he pulled back at the dragon's lair. He had just been humiliated by the biggest jackass he had ever met. He was bitter and disappointed that the girl in that castle wasn't the princess, after all he had gone through.

But mostly, he was irritated that he was back where he had started: walking through trees.

_It's better than an arid desert. _

One of the things he hated about himself was that he was a whiner. He complained about workload, though he had no choice but to trudge on and get it over with. And so he set his jaw and shredded at fly-away bits of vine to release his pent up anger. Might as well be productive.

He did his best to keep moving forward. He had heard too many tales about travelers going in circles after being lost in a dense forest and never being heard from again. _Not that I expect anyone to come looking for me_ he said to himself.

There was a sudden rustle behind a bush. Romeo's heart rate started to speed up. He aimed his unsheathed blade at it. A bird flew out from the shrub, and he stumbled back in shock. He flushed. Thank goodness no one was there to see that.

That did nothing to quell his fear. Perhaps he was just paranoid, but he thought that he could hear distinct, guttural noises that belonged to no creature he knew of. He trudged on faster.

He came upon a small patch of grass cleared of trees, save for one oak that looked like it had gone through the ages. He could see scratches on its trunk. Excitedly, he ran towards it to check if it had proper markings like the dragon had said.

Crude curses and dirty drawings were etched upon it, but some sections had been painted on in the shape of the arrow. They held eat writing within their boundaries of color. The words carved inside the black brush of paint read PanGaLe. The blue held daintier scratches reading CharWen. The red arrow had the words HapNaLu.

The wheels in his head started turning. The direction the black arrow was pointing to lead back to Gajeel's domain. Romeo put two and two together and headed in the direction the red arrow pointed. If his predictions were correct, he would arrive at another monumental palace. With any luck, he would be able to rescue the lost princess.

* * *

"Wendy! You're acting more and more like that fool with each passing second!" a white cat huffed indignantly.

"I can't help it, Charle," the young woman replied. "I'm just so happy."

Wendy Marvell danced around the walls of the grand hall, feather duster clutched in her hand. She brushed it against ancient looking trinkets (because dragons were all such hoarders). Her long, midnight blue hair swished behind her as she pranced across the floor, the walls, and the ceiling.

Charle shook her head at the blunette's childishness. However, a part of her was glad as well. Wendy was once a timid girl with no self-esteem and no knowledge on how to interact with other living beings. She would constantly retreat into her shell whenever she felt threatened by something new. Well, she still did that sometimes when faced with stragers. But there were no strangers in Fantasia, so she was good to go. She had matured well. Charle was proud of her.

"I still think it was rude of him to make us clean this castle like common maids," Charle grumbled.

"But I offered to take care of the castle until they get back," Wendy said. "You can go back to our home if you want. I'll follow when the job is done."

The cat snorted. "Of course not! I need to protect you." The girl stifled a giggle. "I'm going to the East Wing to prepare some lunch for us. Join me in an hour." Wendy nodded. And with that, Charle scampered off.

_Sometimes she forgets that I'm the one who can transform into something almost as big as this palace_ Wendy mused as she stared after her surrogate mother. With the cat's departure, she resumed her dance and clean routine.

* * *

Having learned his lesson, Romeo decided that a less direct strategy would work best for him. The dragon would no doubt be as strong as, if not stronger, than the monster of iron. He would sneak into the castle inconspicuously and do his best to evade contact with the fire dragon by any means possible. Yes, it was best to try a circuitous route.

His mission would be to get in, get the princess, and get the hell out of there.

Once more, he stood outside a frightening looking abode fit for a beast, what with its size. He could feel his body starting to shake again. He wasn't feeling any more confident the second time around. He pushed himself forward, despite possible impending doom.

The castle's structure was quite different from Gajeel's. It was certainly less pointy, so that was a plus. It was made with a peculiar type of rock that was warm to the touch. He pressed his hand against it, and when he grabbed it back, his palm was covered in soot. _Volcanic ash_ he realized.

He didn't want to enter through the main door, should the master of the house be waiting there. He circled the castle in search of another way in. He found a small door of dark wood round its side, almost camouflaged against the wall.

Romeo uttered a little prayer to Mavis before pushing against it. He entered as discreetly as he could and closed the door behind him, making sure to make minimal noise. It was dark, but he waited a while to let his eyes grow accustomed to the lack of any light. After a few moments, he could see an outline of his surroundings. Satisfied, he climbed up the winding staircase.

Romeo was hoping that the Goddess had heard him.

She had.

* * *

Unfortunately, the hero was unaware that dragons have heightened senses. And someone all the way on the other side of the castle could hear him.

Wendy had been perched up on the crystal chandelier. She was valiantly doing her best to clean those little hard-to-reach spaces between the candlesticks, when suddenly her ears perked up. She heard a crash come from the dungeons. Charle was in the East Wing.

Banishing thoughts of paranoia from her mind, she tried thinking of possibilities optimistically. It could be one of their friends coming for a visit. _You shouldn't jump to conclusions _she told herself. _It might be Gajeel, or Gray, or Titania, or anyone. _

But why wouldn't they have used the front door?

With that thought in mind, she didn't disregard the possibility of an unwelcome visitor. And she certainly didn't rule out a monster break in. There was an abundance of Legions surrounding the estate. Wendy turned her head to glance at the dark hall that lead to the kitchens. Charle wouldn't be able to overpower or out-fly the beasts.

Wendy resolved to dispose of this matter herself. She jumped down, landing lightly on the balls of her feet. She set the duster down on a nearby desk.

A gust of wind flew through the windows and the girl had vanished.

* * *

Romeo was tripping over his feet in the darkness. He had crashed into multiple objects which he couldn't place, and had pricked himself on what he suspected was a display of daggers. Or a booby trap. He didn't want that.

He held his sword in one wobbly hand while the other was in his mouth. He was sucking his red index finger to try and numb the pain.

The tunnel was strewn with the most random things that went beyond his imagination. If all his guesses were accurate, then he had tripped over rocks, mirrors (dangerous to leave lying around), balls that were meant for a child's game, scratching posts. He also bumped into tables, pianos, and –this he regarded with fear –various types of armor.

It was clear to see that the dragon was a hoarder.

Squinting his eyes, he was pleased to see a small light up ahead. He hastened his pace, though took care in avoiding any land hazards that would obstruct him. That didn't work out too well. He was bruising by the time he got out of there.

He found himself in another passageway, though this one was noticeably wider. Also, it was lit by torches hung on the wall, so he didn't have to worry about navigating his way through a painful obstacle course. His tension lessened, and he cleared his mind a bit as he snuck around. But he still took great care in his safety. Romeo was cautious enough to keep his sword out.

The passage was basically another tunnel made of dark bricks. More volcanic ash, he suspected. It had many other doors connecting to smaller routes like the one he had emerged from, but he didn't enter any of them. He stayed on his chosen path, obeying its dictations of turns.

As he was about to make his way round a corner, the most horrific sight beheld him. The shadow was large, and kept growing as it moved to cross paths with him. He could kick himself for all the rotten luck he was born with. His fear made him forgo all sensibility, and he noisily darted toward one of the open archway doors.

Chest heaving heavily, Romeo enveloped himself in darkness. His back stuck to the wall like a fly on a fly paper, and he was readying himself for sure death to come. With any luck, the dragon would be as much as an idiot as Gajeel had been. But he was familiar with his own (mis)fortune, and didn't count on it.

"So this is how it ends, for poor, luckless, Sir Romeo Conbolt. I should have known," he whispered sorrowfully.

"Don't be so negative," a gentle voice admonished. "You can make it through."

"Ah, an angel speaks from within my mind," he said melancholically. "How right you should appear at the hour of my untimely demise."

He didn't know if it was a trick of the light (or lack thereof), but he could see the outlines of a blushing face. "I'm no angel," the voice said timidly.

Then who was he talking to? He was pretty sure his conscience wouldn't answer back. "Huh?"

"Oh! Hold on, I have a candle with me." There was the sound of wood being scratched against a matchbox, followed by a wisp of fire.

And then Romeo could clearly see the soft features of a female. Her mouth was parted slightly in surprise, and she was quite possibly the most adorable thing he had ever seen. He did what any healthy young male in his situation would do.

He screamed bloody murder.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH," he yelled shrilly, a noise that made the souls of his ancestors hide their faces in shame as the other spirits pointed at them and laughed.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH" She shrieked in response. Both scrambled to get away, and in their panic, bumped their heads against each other. Both fell soundly on their buttocks.

"Ow," she whimpered, as she rubbed a soothing hand on her forehead and another on her sore bum. She gave a shaky laugh to ease his fear. "Are you alright?"

"Me? Oh, yes, yes, I'm fine," he said absently. He couldn't stop staring at her. She matched the lost princess's age description, and had her infamous chocolate brown eyes. "Hey, would you happen to be…?"

"How rude of me!" the girl cried. She sprung to her feet and stretched out an arm towards him. He took it, and she effortlessly hoisted him onto his feet. Extremely odd for someone with her frail, lithe figure. "I'm Wendy Marvell. Nice to meet you."

Drat, not the princess. Romeo was disappointed yet again. "Romeo Conbolt," he began sullenly. Before he could get on with a cordial introduction, his eyes widened when he remembered why he was so frightened in the first place. Her hand was still in his, and he yanked her closer to him. She let out a yelp, but the sound was muffled when he clamped a hand over her mouth.

"Mmmph?"

He shushed her. "There's a monster in this castle. We need to get away, or that'll be the end of both of us." Wendy looked horrified. Her suspicions were confirmed. She pushed away from him, gasping for a breath of air.

"Monster? What kind of monster?" And Romeo's suspicions were confirmed. Wendy must have been a new captive of the dragon, and suffering from some sort of memory loss. _Poor girl_ he thought piteously.

"A big, scaly monster with razor sharp teeth!" he snarled, for emphasis. Wendy was distraught. She was right; Legions had invaded the castle, for if there was one, the horde wouldn't be far away. She was quite upset with herself. Barely a day of guarding Natsu's house and already she had failed. Romeo mistook the frown on her face as one of terror, instead of frustration. His body was overtaken by a wave of newfound chivalry.

"Never fear. I swear by my sword, I'll protect you," he said with as much bravado as he could muster.

Wendy was touched by his kindness and selflessness. He was willing to protect someone he had just met. She smiled at him. "I'll do my best to protect you as well."

Romeo shook his head. She surely was touched in the head. Her chances of surviving a dragon attack stood bleaker than his.

Forthwith, a shadow appeared on the wall Romeo was facing. The beast was nearby, right behind them! Its silhouette was getting bigger and bigger, only enhanced by the candlelight. He almost slapped his forehead. The candle! No wonder the dragon had found them so easily. No point in hiding anymore. All he could do was rave in pre-death hysteria.

"The monster is coming and we are going to die, die, die," he wailed. "I knew I shouldn't have gone on this stupid quest. It was stupid, this whole thing is stupid. I'm stupid."

Wendy felt sorry for him, as well as embarrassed for him. He was flailing on the floor, pounding it with his fists. Where had all that grandeur from a while ago gone? Nevertheless, it was in her personality to empathize. She tried looking at it from his perspective; he was about to die. _Hm_ she pondered. _Perhaps he does have a legitimate reason to be upset_.

She smiled reassuringly at him. "Don't worry. I promised to protect you, didn't I?"

Romeo snorted. That probably sounded rude and ungrateful, but what did he care? He was about to die, anyway. "And how do you suppose on doing that?" She backed away from him, moving into the hall to face whatever creature threatened them. She stood with her arms held aloft, and he could feel a chilly draft fly through. Where was it coming from?

And then she started to morph into something entirely different. Her clear, pale skin was changing into blue and white scales. Her head was elongating, forming a snout filled with teeth sharper than any mortal made dagger. Her back erupted with wings that spanned at least five times longer than the largest eagle.

The cute girl with big brown eyes had turned into a monstrous dragon. He was too shaken up to even process the events that followed. This was made all too worse by the fact that he had recently developed a phobia for the creatures.

The anticipated 'horde of Legions' arrived in the form of a small white cat.

"Wendy, where were you? I was waiting for almost an hour in the – WHO IS THAT?!" the cat hissed in terror, pointing a claw at a petrified Romeo. She dashed to shield Wendy from the mortal man.

Wendy chuckled. Her voice was still girlish and whimsical, not in the least bit fitting for a fearsome dragon. "Relax, Charle. Romeo wouldn't hurt a fly." She tilted her head at him. "Isn't that right?"

Romeo fainted.

* * *

"Young lady, you have a lot of explaining to do,"Charle said testily. Wendy moaned. She was in trouble. They sat down to lunch on the kitchen counter. At their feet beside them lay an unconscious Romeo.

"It went like this. I was cleaning in the grand hall, and then there was a crash from somewhere near the dungeons. I thought a horde Legions might have managed to wander in, so I went to investigate."

Charle was flabbergasted. "You were going to face a horde of Legions? By yourself?"

"Well, yes." Wendy winced. She should have known this would get her an ear-full.

"And what, pray tell, possessed you to do something so rash, so impulsive, and so, so…" Charle struggled to find the right word. "So Natsu!"

The corners of Wendy's mouth twitched upward. "I was trying to protect you."

At this, Charle mellowed considerably. But before she could say anything else, whether reproach or a motherly word of thanks, the stranger began to stir. The girl and her cat hushed as they watched his eyes flicker. He was in a daze, it seemed, and was still trying to piece together events of past. His eyes roamed around the room until they landed on the two. He began to gape when saw a white cat standing most imposed over him. Wendy grimaced at him with an apologetic mien.

He almost passed out upon seeing the dragon girl once more.

"Oh, for heaven's sake," Charle said ardently. She doused his head with a glass of cold water when she saw his head about to hit the floor again.

The icy water caused him to spring to his feet. He was instantly alarmed, in panic mode. "You'll pay for that, cat!" He reached for the hilt, but found that his sheath was empty.

Charle faced him down. "Wendy can crush you with a swish of her tail," she said without batting an eyelash. Romeo flinched. "Now talk. What business do you have here?"

"I came here to rescue the kidnapped princess, Princess Lucy. But does she even live here?" Romeo asked. He was sore about being bossed around by vermin; or technically, vermin catcher.

"She does live here, but she's on vacation," Wendy responded automatically. "A voyage, more accurately." Charle gave her an exasperated look. The blunette squeaked. "Sorry!"

"A voyage?" he cried in outrage. "She's been held captive by a vicious, dumb dragon brute for ten years, and no one has ever rescued her. How would she find time for a vacation?"

"Obviously she's on vacation with the vicious, dumb dragon brute," Charle answered. As an afterthought, she added, "And Happy."

_Who's happy?_ Romeo thought, but didn't deem it an important question to be spoken out loud. "It doesn't matter. I'll slay the dragon that took her, and bring her back to the kingdom where she belongs. You barbarians can't do anything to stop me."

Charle was about to make a very profane retort when Wendy cut her off. "Could you excuse us for a moment, Sir Romeo? There's something I would like to discuss with her."

Romeo weighed his options. He would, of course, support their leave. But he realistically knew that he wouldn't have a chance to escape them. It seemed that even everything on the other side of the enormous palace was within Wendy's earshot. He would, though, still fancy being left alone. Away from them.

"Take your time," he shrugged.

"Thank you. Please feel free to get a plate of your own and have some fish." Wendy ushered the feline out of the kitchen despite her protests. The girl trusted that the boy would not follow them. She brought Charle to one of the nearby spare rooms, filled with Natsu's various collectibles.

"Wendy, I don't think it's wise to leave that horrible boy alone in our kitchen where knives are readily available," Charle frowned.

"He wouldn't hurt a fly." Wendy rolled her eyes and rephrased her sentence. "He _couldn't_ hurt a fly."

"That I can believe," Charle agreed. "But why did you drag me here?"

"I have a plan," Wendy said. "Listen…"

At the end of Wendy's explanation, Charle was grinning deviously. She was proud to say she helped raise such a woman.

* * *

The girl returned to the kitchen alone. She found him heartily eating the fish, as though he didn't know when his next meal would be. _He probably doesn't_ she thought dolefully. She did, in fact, feel really bad for him. He was a misguided soul, from what she understood, and she couldn't say she understood much if anything at all. But his goals, though she thought him incapable of reaching them, endangered the happiness of the people she loved. That was something she would not stand for.

"I have a proposition for you."

"Shoot," he said, still focused on the meal. What little gratuity he had got the best of him, and he paused to face her.

"You want to find to find Lucy, yes?"

"Desperately so." He regarded her attentively now. "What do you have in mind?"

"I happen to know exactly where they're passing through," Wendy bluffed. She did, in fact, have an idea, but exact coordinates were zilch.

This piqued his interest. "Are you saying… that you're willing to lead me to them?"

She smiled wryly. That was the plan. But he would no doubt get suspicious if she so candidly handed that to him on a silver platter. She would have to think of a more believable ruse. "For a price."

This set him off into internal panic mode. What did she want? His money? His armour? His freedom? _His life?_ This would be a risky move, dealing with her beastly sort. But traveling to Fantasia would all be for naught if the princess wasn't even at the castle.

"I'll do anything. Just tell me what it is you want." An audacious move, but what choice did he have?

Wendy closed her eyes. Now was the time to be creative. What did she want, what did she want? Well… there was one thing. Once she was sure Charle was out of hearing range, she named her price. It was a deeply rooted, secret wish she had held onto for half of her life. She didn't expect to get it if the plan followed through accordingly, but at that moment she could think of nothing else.

"After I lead you to Natsu and Lucy, you have to tour me around the world of humans."

Romeo was shocked, to say the least. Of all the things he had been expecting, it certainly hadn't been that. But he figured, if he found a way to defeat so-called Natsu, he would be able to find a way to double cross this dragon girl.

"Deal."

They shook on it. Both smirked inwardly, thinking that they were putting one over the other. And so began the quest heralded by the most unlikely team the universe had decided to throw together.

* * *

A/N: Well, finally, Wendy has appeared. And thus their search for Natsu and Lucy (and inadvertently Happy) began. Please tell me about any typos or grammar errors you spot. I apologize, because I strive to make my fics as clean as possible. I don't have a beta, though I desperately want one. I also would like to apologize if the characters seem to OOC, but how they ended up like that will be explained in latter parts of this story. I don't have a beta, though I desperately want one.

Thank you to those who reviewed the previous chapter, as well as to those who started following the story! If it becomes you, please review. Compliment, critique, or flame, all are welcome. I'd love any feedback to help myself improve.


	4. Chapter 4

"Are we there yet?" the boy managed to ask between sharp intakes of breath. An arm was outstretched to touch the trunk of one of many trees, and he rested his weight there. His jet black hair was damp with sweat, as was his borrowed linen shirt. Romeo was grudgingly thankful that he had taken the dragon girl's advice. He had wished to bring the armour he had seen in the castle basement, but she had told him that he wouldn't need it, where they were going. He pretended not to hear her, but removed his fingers from the metal breast plate. That in itself was heavy load, and he was having enough trouble as it was.

After leaving the grounds of the monumental palace, they had journeyed through numerous terrains. It started with a forest, and then they had trekked down to a valley. Somehow the grassy plain had shifted into a small desert, and then they reached a jungle. If the sounds he had heard while walking alone were unnerving, the very sight of some of the creatures were terrifying. He shuddered at the memory of a seemingly innocent chipmunk, for when he had reached out to touch it, its mouth expanded and bore a set of dagger like teeth larger than its own body.

Currently, they were hiking up a mountain. Romeo supposed that they were making good time, considering the distance they had travelled. In had been three days since they left the dragon Natsu's lair. He knew that in his world, the different environments wouldn't be nearly as close to each other, but he guessed it was another one of Fantasia's magical properties.

"For the nth time, no, we aren't," Wendy said in response, sounding slightly annoyed. She had had enough of Romeo's incessant whining. Even for someone as patient as herself, the boy was getting on her nerves.

She walked faster than he did, and was already higher up the slope. She looked fresh, as if she had just finished bathing and drying her hair. She didn't look remotely tired, least of all, sweaty. Romeo wondered if that was because she lived there and was used to the journey, or if it was simply a dragon thing. In a gentler tone, she added, "I'll let you know when we get there, alright?"

"He'll know," the white cat, Charle, scoffed from overhead. In addition to talking, walking on two feet, and wearing a little maroon dress, Romeo had learned that the cat had the ability to fly. He looked up to watch her, white fur set against the burnt orange of a changing sky. She was gliding above them, tiny angel-like wings fluttering. It was quite cute, but the cat had such a personality problem. Romeo hated her.

He hated Wendy as well. For all her smiles and seeming kindness, he couldn't bring himself to trust her. He had, after all, watched her morph into a ten ton beast with scales and wings. Girls like that were, for obvious reasons, not to be trusted. They were dangerous.

And that was why he had no plans on upholding his part of the bargain. Take her to his world? He'd have to be mad. He was a good man, and did not wish destruction upon the kingdom that had many times over wronged him. No, he would study her. Everything had a weakness, and if he watched the dragon girl closely enough, he would find it. Then he would use that knowledge to slay the dragon holding the princess captive. He'd probably have to do the same to Wendy when the whole ordeal was done.

Maybe he'd go back for Gajeel, too.

"Romeo, were you listening?" Wendy asked reproachfully, and he was pulled out of his thoughts.

"Huh?"

Charle sighed irritably. "Wendy was saying that we should set up camp here for the night. The sun is about to set."

What he thought was a mountain was no more than a mere slope to elevated land. Now they stood by a cliff, at the edge of another forest. It seemed they had a long way to go. Romeo felt like fainting at the mere prospect of another two day journey to get to… wherever they were going.

As if she could read his mind, Wendy did her best to put him at ease. "We'll be there soon. After crossing the forest, we'll be in Gray's area. It's an hour's walk to his house after that."

"Right," he grumbled. That didn't make him feel any better. He was tired of forests, tired of walking. If the princess and the damn dragon turned out not to be there, he was going to have a bitch fit. Maybe it was the fatigue, or maybe he was just tired of all the disappointments he'd been having so far. Either way, he needed some time to cool down. Alone. "I'm going to go get some fire wood." Without another word, he stalked off into the forest.

"Oh, alright then. That's a good idea. Thank you!" Wendy called after him. He didn't look back. Her cheery façade fell as soon as his form disappeared into the darkness. The boy was very unpleasant, by her standards. She had been surrounded by her friends for most of her life, and had never been faced with this sort of situation. Much as she would like to retreat back into her shell as she did when she was twelve, she fought against the urge.

She needed some alone time as well. Dealing with snotty, arrogant knight boys wasn't her cup of tea. She might be Wendy Marvell, the nicest girl in Fantasia, and she would continue to be nice to the berk, but that didn't mean she wasn't frustrated with his attitude.

That was exactly why she was stalling him from reaching Natsu and Lucy. She knew of their quest, and she knew exactly where they were headed. Wendy did not want Romeo interrupting them. Besides, he wouldn't be able to take Lucy even if there were ten of him. He was no match for Natsu. She would bring him around Fantasia on a wild goose chase, and when the time was right, deliver him to Natsu. That way, she would have kept her end of the bargain and he'd still have to bring her to Earthland.

Not that Charle would ever let her go, she remembered bitterly. Speaking of her surrogate mother slash big sister…

"I'm going to go gather food for us," Wendy told her. The cat, perched on a tree branch, frowned and folded her little arms in front of her chest.

"It's dark out. It would be better if I went to get the fruits instead. No, wait, but then you'd be here alone," Charle babbled fretfully. Wendy sighed in exasperation.

"_Charle_."

"Oh, fine. Go. But don't wander off too far in. It's dangerous. Shout when you need help."

Wendy, the adorable girl who we've established can turn into a ten ton behemoth, left in a huff.

* * *

Romeo awoke in a cold sweat. His heart pounded erratically in his chest, and he took long, deep breaths. All night long he had been plagued by nightmares of shadowy beasts in the shape of all too familiar dragons, sitting in the middle of an inferno, tearing him limb from limb and devouring him whole.

What was he thinking? Putting even a little ounce of faith in the dragon girl would no doubt lead to her demise. It was dragons, after all, who kidnapped Levy and Princess Lucy. Dragons were dangerous, conniving beasts who he shouldn't be dealing with. Just look at how Gajeel dealt with him, and Wendy's false, saccharine cheeriness given away by the times she would lose her temper at him. Romeo needed to make a run for it and get away from the dragon girl. He would have no guide, and the journey to find the princess would no doubt be innumerably harder, but it was better than travelling with a dragon who could rip his head clean off his shoulders at her whim.

He stole a glance at Wendy. She was sleeping soundly, wrapped in a cocoon of her blanket. Her dark blue hair fell across her face, and she snored softly. Staring up at the sky, Romeo concluded that it was too early in the morning for the sun to be out yet. But it would be rising soon. The moment the rays touched her face, the dragon girl would be wide awake. Now was the perfect chance for him to make his getaway.

Quietly, he stood from his makeshift bed, a single blanket. He stuffed it into his satchel, and refilled his water carrier with the water Wendy had collected the previous night. There was bound to be a river nearby. After gathering all his possessions and readjusting his sword in its sheath, he tip-toed away from camp. He did not want to wake the dragon girl, nor the white cat.

However, he was unaware of the fact that Charle was a very light sleeper.

He streaked through the forest, slashing blindly at any plant or root that obstructed him. He had to keep on a straight path, or he would end up lost. He simply ran, and ran. The night's rest had done wonders in rejuvenating him, and he was filled with a new brand of energy. Further incentive was his desire to get as far away as he could from the dragon girl, and her keen sense of smell.

He narrowed his eyes, shielding from any debris like leaves, and vines whipping at his face. He could feel his legs beginning to burn, but that just made him sprint faster. He jumped over logs and rocks, until he came at the end of the forest. He was so tired that his body did not immediately register the slowly integrating change in temperature.

When he finally stopped and looked at where his feet had carried him, his stomach almost literally turned into ice. He was surrounded by snow for what seemed like miles around, with nothing in sight but the distant edge of a cliff.

He groaned. Maybe it wasn't such a good idea to leave. He would have a hell of a time finding his way to wherever they were headed in the tundra. He decided to head back. There was a chance that they were still asleep, and even if they were awake, he could simply say that he was scouting ahead, or that he needed a walk. At this, he suddenly recalled a conversation he had had yesterday with the dragon girl and the cat.

"_How much longer, dragon girl?" the dark haired youth griped. _

"_Not much longer," she had replied vaguely._

"_We would probably be there by now if somebody hadn't packed so many clothes," he sneered, eyeing her brown bag. Females, the lot of them, including dragons, were quite vain and a baggage to have when travelling. _

"_Soon you're going to regret not packing anything at all," Charle had snapped back at him, before taking off into the sky again. _

"_Yeah, right," Romeo chortled. It was always smarter to travel light._

His face flushed with fury. They meant for him to be ill prepared for the weather! They wanted him to freeze to death! His resolve to journey by himself hardened, and he walked forward, not daring to look back. He would be ready for her when she found him, probably after he'd slain Natsu.

He stood at the edge of the glacier cliff, looking over the snowy terrain. Mountains, pleated in white, and snow everywhere. Below the cliff was a river, or maybe an ocean. He couldn't tell.

Suddenly, the ice beneath him started to crack. He backed away quickly, but the glacier was beginning to crumble. He spotted a slope out of the corner of his eye and made to slide down. As soon as he moved, the spot he had been standing on broke off, and he was sent plunging into the icy waters below.

It was absolutely freezing, the moment that he had dove into it. The frost bit his skin, the burning sensation like a cold fire. He gasped for air, and started paddling to swim to the nearby shore. But the cold was starting to paralyze his body, and he was being dragged down by the current. He moved as much as he could, hoping that the kinetic energy would warm him, but his efforts were in vain. His body began to shut down in fatigue, and he wrenched his eyes open, knowing that it would be the end of him if he gave up.

He was pulled under the water. The sea water stung his eyes, and it was just so damn cold. He was becoming numb and drowsy. He stopped moving, letting himself fall deeper into the ocean.

_So this is how it ends_ he thought weakly. His eyes fluttered for a moment.

The last thing he saw were a pair of sapphire orbs staring straight at him, before he was rendered unconscious.

* * *

There was a cavern beneath the waves, wide and spacious. It was styled into a single room, with a canopy bed right at the centre. The framework was of carved and polished pink coral, and the mattress was a pile of silk blankets and pillows. A head of capri blue hair was laid down on a soft cushion, snoozing peacefully. She was roused from her dreams, eventually, and slowly managed to pry her heavily lidded azure eyes open.

The woman sat up and leaned against the headboard. She stretched her smooth, pale arms over her head, arching her back to knock out any cracks. She moved her neck around a few times. She did not have good sleeping position habits, and would always end up with aches and stiffed joints in the morning. Her lips parted slightly, a small yawn escaping her. She pushed the covers off, and flicked the translucent fin at the tip of her indigo tail.

She swam towards her trunk, popping the lock open and lifting the lid to dress. She slept with her chest bare, and on most days she swam the oceans not bothering to cover herself. She was a mermaid, after all, and had no need for such thing. But the first time she had met her beloved, he had refused to look at her directly, with her breasts lolling and unbound. He had muttered something about propriety, and then hypocrisy, and how he wasn't some pervert to unabashedly stare at her nudity.

She did not understand him, and suddenly felt self-conscious. He was repulsed by her body? She had confided her troubles in her friend, who had smirked knowingly and sewed a beaded bra for her without a word. It did not cover much, but at least he had gotten over it and talked to her with more ease. She had taken to making different clothes for herself, from what little strips of cloth she could find. She enjoyed the way the sequins and beads sashayed against her skin.

The mermaid settled for a plain green one. Levy had given her some cloth from old curtains, knowing she enjoyed that sort of thing. On her way out of her home, she gave herself a once over, examining her reflection in a large shard of broken glass. Her blue locks flowed in the water like a spider thread in a breeze, and she ran a finger through it to comb out the tangles. Once satisfied, she swam out of the cave eagerly.

She was on her way to see him. More specifically, that was one of the days she decided to talk to him. She went to see him every day since she had rescued him from the ship wreckage, floating on a large chunk of wooden plank. But the mermaid was a shy sort of woman, and was completely new to the sensations of electricity running from her head to her toes when he looked at her, and heat flooding her cheeks when his hand brushed against hers. So she diligently, adoringly, admired him from afar on a daily basis. She refused to coin it as Gajeel would; stalking.

And then there were days, like today, when she felt brave enough to peak out from the waves after waiting for him to come out of his igloo, and greet him with a shy hello. He would grin back, and her stomach would do back flips, and he would engage her in conversation. Then she would lose all her fears and wonder why she had been so afraid in the first place, when it was so easy. Then the next day, she would forget how to not be scared again.

She wondered what she would bring him. Maybe some fish or some of the shiny stuff she had found scattered on the bottom of the sea. She had no need or desire for those coins and jewels, but he seemed to find them fascinating.

Lost in her thoughts, sharp azure eyes caught something floating in the distance ahead, something slowly descending to the ocean floor. It was too big and at the same time, too small to be any of the creatures inhabiting the waters. No, it looked to be human. A male human. At the sight of jet black hair, her heart began to race with panic. She sprinted forward as fast as her fins would propel her. She could not let the man she loved drown so carelessly.

As she neared him, she caught sight of his face and immediately determined it wasn't him. He was, in her opinion, less handsome than her Gray, though more or less his age. Nonetheless, that did not deter her feeling of urgency to save him. His eyes, dark and sad, fluttered to a close as he saw her approach.

She hooked her arms around him, hauling him to the surface. He was heavy, and the current was dragging them both down, but she had to get him up there to breath. Summoning all herself, she tightened her grip on him and pulled, finally breaking the barrier between sky and sea and raising their heads out of the water. She looked around. The nearest shore was not far away, but she had to get him there fast. She was accustomed to the water's chill, but she had never seen this boy before, and knew right away that he would freeze to death.

She swam them both to the edge of the land. It was a mere thin sheet of ice over the water, but it would have to do. She lifted him onto it, before flattening her palms at the ledge and pushing herself up onto the plate. She slid across the smooth surface, and crawled back to lie on her belly beside him. She spread his body out, carefully placing his arms on either side of him.

"Please, please be alive," she begged him. "Please don't die on Juvia." She placed her head against his chest. His heart beat was still sound, but weak. The mermaid, Juvia, had to revive him somehow. She had seen so much death in her youth, and could not bear it if someone else had died on her watch. That was why Gray was so precious her; in saving him, he had saved her from her grief. She moved her head for her lips to be beside his ear. A mermaid's song had magical healing properties.

_See the world again with open eyes_

_I wouldn't forgive myself if you die_

_So don't fret, and don't fear_

_I promise to stay right here_

_Don't let the darkness take control_

_Don't let fate claim your soul_

_I promise my promises won't sway_

_If you promise not to slip away_

_Juvia will never get the hang of composing on the spot_ she deadpanned mentally. She felt a pang in her heart as she remembered her eldest sister, who spoke the language of angels and could weave a song so beautiful it could be compared to the very foundations of Fantasia's finite law, recorded as scriptures carved upon stone.

It had the desired effect, so Juvia did not feel to bummed. The boy's body wracked with violent spasms as he coughed out the water he had swallowed. His body jerked forward as he sat up, still coughing. She placed a hand at his back and began rubbing soothing circles.

"It's alright, it's alright," she said.

"W-where am I? Who are you?" he sputtered. Juvia frowned. His shivering was intense. She had to get him to the comfort and warmth of Gray's igloo.

"Follow Juvia," she said, and crawled back to the sea on her belly. She dove head first into the ocean, and arose from the waters again, waiting for him.

"Who's Juvia?" he asked. She pointed to herself. "Oh. My name is Romeo."

"Juvia is pleased to meet Romeo. But he must follow Juvia, if he wants to live." She retreated back into the waters and swam ahead, but made sure that he could still see her.

Romeo scurried after her, careful not to break the ice he stood on. He hugged his arms against his chest, and his teeth chattered while the cold dug into his skin like a cat's claws. He called out to her as he walked.

"Yes?"

"Thank you for saving me." And truly, he meant it. It was the first time since that meal in the forest that anyone in Fantasia had shown him real kindness, without mocking him or asking for something in return. He was grateful to the mermaid, as well as amazed that he had met one. She smiled at him in return, and he noted that she was very beautiful, with her blue hair slicked back and plastered against her face.

"Romeo is welcome. Gray's home is very near now."

Romeo opened his mouth to ask who Gray was, but decided against it. He would no doubt find out soon enough. The dragon girl had mentioned the name a few times. It was supposed to be their original destination, and all in all he was pleased to have arrived there nonetheless.

They stopped in front of an igloo facing the bay. Juvia began singing a beautiful, wordless melody, and splashed in and out of the water, doing back flips and all kinds of stunts. Romeo watched her with fascination. The mermaid was the second kind of sentient magical being he had encountered. He had had quite enough of dragons. He hoped against hope that Gray would not turn out to be some sort of ice dragon.

A man emerged from the snow hut. He resembled Romeo slightly, with raven hair spiking up in different directions and onyx eyes. His physique was good, and he was over all quite handsome. Romeo, shivering with an icicle dripping from the edge of his nose, was surprised –and a little more than slightly disturbed –to see that his chest was bare, and all he had on were a pair of trousers.

The man, Gray, did not look at all surprised to see him. "Stay by the fire and dry off. I've laid out some of my clothes on the bed for you to change into," he said, all business like. Changing his tone, he grinned slightly and waved at the bluenette. "Hello, Juvia. Thank you for leading him here."

She flushed a deep scarlet. "No –no problem, Gray."

Romeo turned to her, and thanked her once more. Juvia had smiled at him, telling him that she would be there if he needed her. He entered the igloo. It was a humble abode, with a crackling fire at the centre. There was a wooden bed, a shelf, and a desk. The walls were blocks of snow, and Romeo had to admire the sheer brilliance of the simple architecture.

He stripped himself of the still wet clothes, and changed into the clothes Gray had lent. He folded the discarded clothes and left them on the floor, neatly stacked beside the bed. He had finished putting his legs through the pants, and slipped the shirt over his head. He added more layers with another shirt, in addition to a woollen coat. He sat by the flame, letting his body soak in the warmth. He walked around the igloo, looking at the contents of the shelf. A few books, folded clothes, and a music box carved from what looked like a pearl, if the white satin sheen was anything to go by. Romeo was just about to open it and listen to the tune when he felt a hand on his shoulder. He jumped slightly.

"I'd rather you not touch that, actually. It was a gift," Gray told him. Romeo's cheeks reddened, and he mumbled a quick apology before returning to sit by the fire. Gray took the spot beside him on the floor and began to speak.

"You're from Earthland."

"I am."

"How did you pass into this realm?"

And Romeo chronicled everything that happened to him, from searching in the desert, to being attacked by desert raiders and waking up in Fantasia. He sheepishly added in getting pathetically defeated by Gajeel, and meeting Wendy. He left out the deal, and abandoning them at the camp. Wendy was bound to follow. Gray was surprised to find that he had purposely come looking for a way to the other world, and Romeo explained the quest to him.

"Ten years ago, Princess Lucy Heartfilia, daughter of King Jude and the late Queen Layla, was kidnapped by a fire breathing dragon the night before her engagement ball. The king since has fell into a depression. A reward of endless riches, power, and fame is being offered to whoever can return the princess and bring the king the dragon's hide."

Gray paused for a moment, before nodding and taking in the whole story. The kid's quest, then, was the same as Titania's had been, and the knight who came after him. He discreetly steered the topic into a different direction.

"King Jude, eh? A pretty long time must've past since I was on Eartland. He was still a baby when I left the kingdom to sail to the end of the world."

Romeo's eyes widened. "Are you telling me you're not some sort of fire dragon, and you can't transform into a hairy beast like a yeti from the legends?"

"The yetis a bit north from here, but they're quite the peaceful tribe," Gray chuckled. "No, I'm from Earthland. Gray Fullbuster, Royal Maritime Navigator. I went on my own journey with my crew, to map out the seven seas. It was a perilous journey, with the weather getting more and more erratic as we neared the ends of the earth. We suffered many mutinies, many abandonments and deaths, until all that was left of the original forty five were myself, my cousin, and my adopted brother.

"Just before we made it, the winds accidentally pushed us into this channel, which turned out to be leading straight toward a waterfall. We stood in a circle by the deck, readying ourselves for certain death, but as we took the plunge, we were surprised to find ourselves alive, although our poor ship was destroyed.

"And that's when Juvia found us. She took our floating bodies to land, and asked her friends to care for us in the ways that she couldn't. She would bring us fish from the ocean, and teach us proper Fantasian etiquette. After about two months, the others managed to return."

"But what about you?" Romeo was hanging on the edge of his seat, waiting for the next part of Gray's story. "Why were you left behind?"

The corners of Gray's lips quirked. "Let's just say… that I found a reason to stay."

"There isn't really an end of the world, though," Romeo said conversationally. "The adventurer, Lyon Bastia, discovered that it was round. Many more expeditions were made after that, all proving that he was right."

The other man's mouth cracked into an even bigger smile. "Bastard," Gray mumbled with a hint of fondness. Romeo didn't hear him.

Suddenly, a familiar voice echoed into the igloo. "Gray, I scoured the entire frozen wasteland, I couldn't find him at all! What if he fell into the ocean, do you think Juvia could…?"

Familiar brown eyes stared at him in disbelief. "Romeo? Why did you leave camp?"

The man in question swallowed hard. He determined that he actually did need a guide, and inexplicably needed Wendy. He would get nowhere in Fantasia without her, despite preferring the company of the hospitable Gray and kind Juvia. If he was to succeed on his quest, he would have to put up with the dragon girl and her cat.

"I, uh, went to scout ahead. I couldn't sleep, so I ended up taking a walk." The crucial lie interconnected with the truth; falling into the ocean, being rescued by the mermaid and led to Gray's.

"Lucky that Juvia found you then, otherwise you might have frozen to death!" Wendy exclaimed. A voice lurking at the back of his head muttered _As if that wasn't what you wanted_.

"I guess so," he replied. After an awkward silence, Gray cut into the conversation.

"Well, if it's Natsu and Lucy you're looking for, then I can assure you that they aren't here. They were here two days ago, though."

"That means we might be able to catch them, if we leave now!" Romeo shouted. Wendy frowned.

"You haven't even had breakfast yet. Charle is still outside catching fish."

"Come on! Oh, and Gray? Thank you very much, and I hope you tell Juvia that I am very thankful to her as well."

"You're welcome. Safe travel."

"Bye, Gray," Wendy said. Gray shot her a knowing look before returning her farewell.

Romeo ushered her out of the igloo. They met Charle by the bay, and he all but dragged her away. She clawed at his face, grumpy and yelling, but Romeo paid her no heed.

* * *

They were off again, journeying from Ice Island, onward to their next destination where Romeo hoped the princess would be.

"Where are we headed now?"

"Strauss Mountain. A three day's journey, but Natsu and Lucy will have probably stayed there long. The Strauss siblings are very friendly and love guests." _Well, at least two out of three do_ she added mentally.

They walked for a bit, with Charle flying ahead. Romeo caved into the urge to ask her something.

"You aren't affected by the cold?" he asked, as she still wore the same sleeveless dress.

"Dragons, even in human form, have scales resilient to extreme temperature," she explained. A sudden though occurred to her, and her face fell in guilt.

"I forgot to tell you to pack! I am so, so sorry! I'm just really not used to telling people to wear extra layers, since I'm, well…"

Romeo scrutinized her expression, and to the best of his extent, finally decided that she was being sincere. It was an honest mistake, and he waved it off. So she wasn't out to kill him. He would still be wary around her, watching his back. He would not put his trust in her just yet.

But he wondered if it would really be such a big mistake to put a little more faith in the strange dragon girl.

* * *

A/N: Thank you for taking the time to read this chapter of The Fairy Tail of the Dragon's Tale. Thank you to everyone who reviewed the previous chapter, and I hope that you enjoyed this one as well. It took some time for me to finish writing it, but I'm satisfied with the result over all. Satisfied. Not happy. I'm never happy with my work, sob. Please forgive any and all typos (better yet, tell me where they are). I don't have a beta, though I am looking for one.

This story will have multiple pairings, just so you know. Anyway, thank you again, and let me know what you thought about this chapter, okay? Any form of review, critique, flame etc will be welcome.

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN FAIRY TAIL.**


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